Balance
I once had a friend tell me that when companies tell you they want you to have a work-life balance they didn’t really mean it. He thought the employers he had worked for would soak up every available minute of his life. While this may be true of some workplaces it really boils down to the individual to make these decisions. So, what is the right amount of balance between work and everything else? This depends on the individual since we are not all the same. In some ways its like exercise – your body needs a day off to rejuvenate. Earlier in my career I was so driven to increase the performance of my team that I skipped vacations, worked some on the weekends and became pretty one dimensional. I came to the realization that I was becoming stale. I secretly resented my team for taking vacations, though I couldn’t say anything because the time off was earned. I became more critical of everything and everyone. I came to realize that I had gone too far. Sometimes less is more. When I took time off I didn’t checkin with the office, I concentrated on what I was doing, instead of thinking about the office. When I returned I was more rested and had a fresher perspective. I was more tolerant of others at the office. This was a valuable lesson!